Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui: Breaks many stereotypes

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui

Hindi (Theatres)

Director: Abhishek Kapoor

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Vaani Kapoor, Kanwaljit Singh

Rating: 4/5

The makers of this film call it a ‘mind bending love story’. But it has much more gravitas. How much more, well, you have to judge it for yourself.

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui starts off as a typical run-of-the-mill love story. Boy meets girl and after the initial sparks, it’s time for romance. A few steamy scenes later, a startling revelation by the girl gives the plot a Hitchockian twist.

Revealing anything more here will be grossly unjust to a cleverly crafted film dealing with a sordid subject. The real heroes are co-writer and director Abhishek Kapoor and Supratik Sen and Tushar Paranjpe, the dialogue and screenplay collaborators.

They combine their remarkable skills for conception and execution with such rare dexterity that a film which could have easily become preachy and pedestrian is turned into a thought provoking and purposeful take on one of the most difficult conundrums of all times involving sexuality.

The film in no way is a modern day masterpiece as it has its own shares of flaws and fallacies and, at times, is contradictory and complacent to some relevant issues involving the LGBTQ+ community (for instance, the sexual transformation of Maanvi hardly gets any screen space)

But the director and writers deserve kudos for their fastidious approach that smashes many stereotypes and sets a new benchmark for conscious and contemplative filmmaking.

It's also refreshing to see a romance involving a trans woman treated with such unprecedented sensitivity and maturity

The same goes for the entire star cast, particularly Vaani Kapoor for accepting a role which many would have not touched even with a barge pole. As the gutsy Maanvi, a Zumba instructor with a hidden past, she bites into the taboo role with almost carnal craving and delivers a career-defining performance.

Kapoor is remarkably restraint when she could have been hysterical or hyperbolic. Watch her closely in the monologue and she is at her best when she says: “Tujhe pata problem kya hai. Yeh baat naa tu hazam kar paa raha hai, na mein khatam kar paa rahi hoon.” (You know what the problem is. You neither can digest this issue nor can I end it).

Ayushmann Khurrana makes an immediate impact as Manu, the boisterous bodybuilder madly in love with Maanvi …till she reveals a harsh truth.

Khurrana, as usual, gives his everything to yet another risqué role. This time he transforms his physique to look like a ‘certified gym trainer’ and a not so successful bodybuilder.

From being a sperm donor (Vicky Donor), to a young man suffering from erectile dysfunctioning (Shubh Mangal Saavdhan), tackling premature hair loss (Bala) and wearing a sari (Dream Girl), Khurrana continues to tread the image-defying path with great courage and conviction.

Technically too the film is top class with Manoj Lobo’s camera work standing out and Chandan Arora’s editing steadfastly slick. The throbbing background score by Sachin–Jigar heightens the drama.

The writing does plateau out in the second-half but director Abhishek Kapoor (of Rock On and Kai Po Che fame) hauls it back on track before the climax.

Another high point is the smoldering chemistry between Kapoor and Khurrana, particularly in the love making scene, sensuously shot with the Attraction soundtrack playing in the background.

It is intense but not offensive. The same can be said for the rest of the film. Highly recommended.